Amnesia

"Who are you?"

When Xu Jiyu hears those words, he feels panic rising within his chest. But he pushes it down with an exaggerated smile and lightheartedly says, "What do you mean? Don't you remember your own partner?"

He hopes that it's all a joke—one that wasn't very funny at all, might he add. Liu Jian must've been joking, right? He does that a lot nowadays, doesn't he? And he always asks a lot of strange questions, so it's not like this any different from usual.

...Right?

Liu Jian stares blankly at the youth before him. "Since when were we partners? I don't even know you."

Xu Jiyu's face falls, and one glance at the handsome man's face is enough to know he isn't joking around. Swallowing his doubt, he tentatively says, "What do you mean? We've been traveling together for a while now..."

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Liu Jian replies, clearly not buying the youth's words. "The last thing I remember is being sent out on an important mission by my Sect leader, and then…"

He slowly trails off, unable to finish his thought. His memory is all fuzzy from there… why couldn't he remember?

After a moment of silence, Xu Jiyu gently urges him to continue, "And then…?"

"And then… I can't remember anything after that." Liu Jian finishes, glancing down at his body to assess his current situation. His eyebrows knitted together when he realizes he's half-naked, with the top of his robe completely torn and beyond repair. He then looks over at the youth. Didn't he wake up with that young man curled up in his arms?

The youth contemplates Liu Jian's words for a moment. Could it be Liu Jian had lost his memories because of the trauma of having the most powerful spirit in his body? Anything could be possible, as no one knew anything about how the King's powers work. Then, Liu Jian… had amnesia? If so, then was there a way to help him regain his memories? Just as he's thinking this—

"What did you do to me last night?" Liu Jian questions, glaring at Xu Jiyu while using an arm to cover up the two red dots on his chest. Of course, after putting two and two together, this was the only conclusion that the handsome man could come to.

The question only makes Xu Jiyu's face heat up, and he shakes his head, waving his arms frantically in the air: "N-Nothing!! I didn't do anything! You were… you were possessed by the King of Spirits, so—!"

"What did you just say?" Liu Jian interjects, another wave of confusion crossing his expression. "I was possessed by the King of Spirits?"

Xu Jiyu gives a meek nod. "Last night, after you saved me from being possessed by a C-rank spirit, you were blown away by the spirits' powerful blast. After that, I thought you had died…" The youth's solemn expression turns bright and he grins, "But turns out, you didn't! Luckily, the King of Spirits seemed to have taken over your body before the impact. You didn't sustain any injuries, so please don't worry about that!"

...Maybe he can thank the King one day if they ever meet again in the future, for protecting his most precious person.

"...I see." Liu Jian answers, before calmly standing up from the bed. Xu Jiyu watches him with curious eyes as his partner walks toward the window, and proceeds to climb out of it from the second floor of the inn.

"Wha—stop, what are you doing, Liu Jian?!" The youth shouts in a panic, rushing over and pulling the taller male's arm back to no avail. It couldn't be that being possessed by the King of Spirits was seriously that bad?!

Pitying the youth's fruitless efforts, Liu Jian pauses in his action and peers down at Xu Jiyu with a frown. "I am going to summon my spiritual sword and fly back to my Sect. If I've forgotten my mission, then uselessly loitering around here would only waste my time. I have to report back to the Sect Leader about this incident."

"You're just going to leave?!" Xu Jiyu asks in desperation. "But, what about me?"

Liu Jian stares at him. "En. What about you?" He repeats the question indifferently.

Xu Jiyu tightens his hold on Liu Jian's arm, hurt evident upon his youthful countenance. "You're going to leave… without me?"

"...I do not even know your name." The handsome man replies, before easily shaking off Xu Jiyu's hold.

"Xu Jiyu! It's Xu Jiyu!" He immediately exclaims, his appearance imitating one of a kicked puppy. "As I've said before, I'm your partner! Even if you don't remember me, I'm sure you will one day! So, please, don't leave me here alone…"

When he thinks about returning to the old days of traveling alone once more, he feels—

...No. Rather, he shouldn't think about it. Because right now, Liu Jian is still here by his side, even if he doesn't remember him! But he'll definitely make sure that his partner will regain his memories of their precious times together! With this, determination replaces his previously negative emotions.

Liu Jian feels a bit guilty, but he doesn't know why. Since it seems he's lost his memory of this person, what exactly did they do together to make this person so sticky? After a few heartbeats, Liu Jian says, "Alright, you may come with me."

Perhaps it was because of his character of being one to help those around him, he reluctantly accepts.

When did Liu Jian summon his spiritual sword? Even Xu Jiyu doesn't know. But his face brightens the moment he hears those words, and he hastily nods before Liu Jian could change his mind.

Liu Jian climbs out of the window and gracefully hops onto his waiting sword. Then, he opens his arms and signals for Xu Jiyu to jump. "I'll catch you, so you won't fall."

"En!" The youth grins. He had already promised the King that he'd wholeheartedly trust Liu Jian. So of course, he'll trust him! Without any hesitation, he climbs outside and more than happily throws himself into his partner's arms.

And just like Liu Jian promised, he's caught into the familiar embrace he'd felt the night before. He closes his eyes and waits for his heartbeat to speed up, for butterflies to flutter within his stomach, but…

...He doesn't feel anything.

...Huh?

Xu Jiyu blinks open his eyes in surprise, peering up at Liu Jian. Why doesn't he feel anything? Usually, even the slightest touch would make him yearn for more.

Actually—now that he thinks about it… this entire time, wasn't Liu Jian acting a bit differently than before? He was incredibly obedient to Xu Jiyu in the past, but why does it seem like the roles have suddenly reversed?! He's the one following Liu Jian around like a lost puppy, now!

It must be because of Liu Jian's amnesia, right?

...But why did Liu Jian appear to become much more knowledgeable after getting amnesia, though? It doesn't make any sense...

While he's thinking about this subject, Liu Jian suddenly says, "Hold on tight. We'll be traveling far."

Before Xu Jiyu can reply, a loud scream escapes his throat as they begin flying through the sky at an incredibly fast speed!

"F*ck, AAAHHH!" Are the two words that make Liu Jian stare down at him with a disapproving gaze.

Liu Jian covers his mouth with one hand and says, "Using inappropriate language is forbidden at my Sect. Please do not say that word again."

...Your mother is forbidden at your Sect, aaahhh!